1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tee for supporting a golf ball at a selectable elevation above a playing field, and, more particularly to a tee assembly embodying a resilient threaded shaft for adjustably positioning and resiliently restoring an elastomeric golf ball support within a range of selectable elevations above the playing field.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known in the art, it is a common practice to use a tee, usually made of wood, to support a golf ball at a selected height above a playing field so that a golf club can be impacted with the golf ball. This mode of driving a golf ball is practiced at a teeing area as well as at a driving range. The soil condition relevant to obtaining a stable support and overall length of the tee establish the selectable height of support for the golf ball above the playing field. A golf ball tee of this type is frequently dislodged from the playing field and broken upon impact with the golf club. Natural or artificial turf at driving ranges is used by golfers to practice driving golf balls for distance and accuracy. A one-piece elastic tee may be incorporated in a section of artificial turf by forming an annular passage in the turf to allow a tubular ball support section to extend above the playing field. The height of the tee above the playing field can be adjusted only by cutting a short length from the tubular ball support section. The golfer cannot be given the option of simulating the conditions in a tee box in a golf course of precisely selecting the height at which the golf ball is supported above the playing field. It is desirable to practice the golf swing and associated techniques for driving golf balls by simulating some of the actual golf course environments including practice from the tee box where the golf ball is usually located on a tee above the playing field and in the rough where a golf ball is supported on taller grass above ground level as well as while supported generally close to ground level in a fairway.
A need therefore exists for an adjustable golf ball tee operable to support a golf ball at a height that can be selected from a range of a position generally level with the playing field to an extended position, which is free and clear above the playing field. In my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,014, there is disclosed an adjustable golf tee formed by an elongated golf ball support having a golf ball support surface and a base at opposite ends. A threaded carrier extends from the base in a direction opposite to the golf ball support surface and a receiver is supported in a cavity extending beneath the playing field. The receiver has an internal cavity for guiding and supporting the elongated golf ball support. A threaded nut is positioned within the internal cavity of the receiver and threadable receives the carrier for adjustably positioning the golf ball support surface at a predetermined distance beyond the receiver and above such a playing field. A stop member on the end portion of the threaded carrier is used to fix and limit the extent to which the elongated golf ball support can project above the playing field. The requirement for a cavity beneath the playing field to receive and support the receiver is not always desirable to create and maintain. Additionally, the resiliency of the golf ball support is restricted to an inward collapse of the tubular hollow configuration of the receiver should the support be struck by the golf club. The resiliency of the conventional one-piece golf tee is similarly restricted by the inward collapse of the ball support above the conventional golf mat found in a golf driving range. Other drawbacks are the restriction to the location of the playing field along the bench of the driving range and the need for multiple cavities in the bench usually a concrete slab at each playing field to accommodate both left and right-handed golf players. The cavities offer sites for the accumulation of debris and erosion to the cavity wall create the need for maintenance.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable height golf ball tee embodying a construction which includes a resilient height adjustor made of an elastomeric plastic which allows placement and support of the golf tee upon on the planar face of a bench at a driving range and use of the playing field to anchor and support the adjustable tee.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustable height tee for a golf ball embodying a construction to provide a ball support surface supported by an underlying resilient adjuster sufficiently elastic to reliably return the ball support surface to an originally set condition and site with long continued integrity.